This exhibition in Dadar puts the spotlight on handicrafts created by women entrepreneurs

An ongoing exhibition in the culturally rich neighbourhood is showcasing an all-female ensemble of homegrown handicraft entrepreneurs with a focus on sustainability

When you pick up a handmade piece of work, you are embracing more than just the end product. You’re honouring the passion, and countless hours poured into it by skilled artisans,” shares Rohini Jog, founder, Craft Circle. Over two weekends, Jog is hosting nine women entrepreneurs who will present their diverse handmade offerings comprising textiles, ceramic ware, and jewellery. “Amid inadequate government policies, indigenous crafts can survive and thrive only when its proponents pull each other up. Our goal is to bridge the gap between the artisan and the patrons of the arts,” Jog explains. We curate our favourite picks from the ongoing exhibition.

Rohini Jog

Heritage on my saree

If heritage structures and sites have a special place in your heart, this homegrown venture by designer Dr Rajshri Patil will give it a bigger canvas — six yards to be precise. Pieces like Chandrika, inspired by the depiction of dancers in the sculptures of Konark Temple, and Durga, a recreation of the stone carved images from Rani ki Vav in Gujarat, make for visual masterpieces. The traditional weaves like Chhattisgarh Tussar silk, Kosa silk, and Maheshwari silk, are skillfully painted over the course of a month by students of fine arts from Pune and Kolhapur.
Log on to: rajasee.com

Shaped with love

The ceramics on display at the exhibition in Dadar

Borivali-based ceramic artist Shruti Manwatkar’s 25-year-old solo venture offers contemporary and functional pottery pieces like tableware, candle holders and vases inspired by natural elements. If you find yourself inspired by the Sir JJ School of Art graduate’s works featuring varied types of clays and glazes, head to her workshops in the city to mould your own clay creations.
Log on to: @manwatkarshruti

For the love of leaves

A woman uses natural elements to craft designs on the fabric

Talk about going the extra mile for sustainability. This small-scale eco-printing venture started by Pune-based artist Shraddha Barde is using naturally available teak flowers, lily stems, and fern leaves to leave a lasting imprint on handwoven fabrics like mulberry silk and Tussar silk. If you’re a fan of the greens on your plate, check out their new collection of ceramicware that features a fun range of botanical prints.
Log on to: @leaf.a.g.e_ecoprints

Women who weave

A handmade bag that makes part of the collection

Jhumkee Iyengar’s grassroots brand’s belief in eliminating intermediaries between women from rural Pune and city audiences, gives us a modern relook at traditional fabrics. From co-ord sets to tea towels, each handmade piece carries stories of enterprising women who were once unskilled workers. 
Log on to: ohrna.com

Till: September 1; 11 am to 7.30 pm 
At: Craft Circle, Bal Govind Das Road, near Ruparel College, Dadar West.
Log on to: craft_circle (for more details and schedule)

Also Read: Mumbai: This exhibition showcases regional arts from Kota and Vrindavan

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!